民国时期的边文教材与藏族学生国家意识的培育

Bilingual Textbooks for Ethnic Minorities in the Border Areas and the Development of a National Consciousness among Tibetan Students during the Period of the Republic of China

教科书是链接国家、知识精英与社会大众的纽带,是塑造共同认同的有力工具。南京国民政府较为重视边文教材的编译与使用,希冀借此推进少数民族学生的国家认同建设。抗战胜利后,教育部下设的国立边疆文化教育馆编译了一套《国文藏文对照初级小学语文常识课本》,试图分别从政治、民族、历史、文化四个方面入手,对藏族学生的国家意识进行塑造。边文教材的编译者考虑到了藏族学生的接受能力,循序渐进地编译教材内容,同时非常注重在编译中加入乡土元素,也很注意内外有别的问题,这些都有助于藏族学生在潜移默化中形成对中华民族的认同。虽然编译边文教材是南京国民政府推进国家认同建设的重要工程,但由于当时的国家治理能力有限,加之国民党深陷内战,无暇顾及边疆教育等客观因素,该套教材最终并没有大规模和持续性地对藏族社会产生影响。

Textbooks play a crucial role in shaping a national consciousness as they provide a link between the state,the intellectual elite,and the public.To mobilize society and create a coherent national consciousness,the government can use education to spread national ideology through textbooks.Therefore,bilingual textbooks can be an important vehicle for better constructing a national consciousness among ethnic minorities in border areas.In 1930,the Nanjing National Government began planning for the compilation of bilingual textbooks.Several large-scale compilation activities of bilingual school texts were conducted before,during,and after the Anti-Japanese War.These bilingual books were printed in small quantities,and most of them have got scattered or lost.Only one set named General Knowledge in Chinese and Tibetan for Elementary School Students(Eight Volumes)(hereinafter referred to as General Knowledge),published in 1947,has been considered relatively complete and well preserved.These textbooks were compiled by ethnologists with good academic training and intellectuals familiar with Tibetan and Han culture.The project was completed in six months and subsequently distributed to schools across various border areas.In assembling the set,the compilers appear to have stressed the importance of cultivating national consciousness among Tibetan students.As for content development,compilers guided Tibetan students toward establishing and nurturing a political,national,historical,and cultural identification with modern China.Compilation of the textbook was undertaken by considering Tibetan students'teachability and learnability,therefore,the principle of compiling from simple to complex and easy to difficult was followed.Additionally,the anthologists incorporated many vernacular elements in this set of textbooks to reflect the local character of the Tibetan areas.The compilers also understood the principle of internal and external distinctions.For example,they did not refer to heroes who emerged from internal strife in Chinese history as national heroes,but only those who emerged during the process of defending modern China from foreign enemies.Despite the compilation of General Knowledge containing many commendable features,there are arguably several shortcomings,including the inaccuracy of some Tibetan-Chinese translations and the incoherence of some narratives.Anthologizing border school texts was undoubtedly an important project for the Kuomintang to continue promoting the construction of a national identity after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War,which was supported by senior officials of the Ministry of Education of the Nanjing National Government at that time.Data further suggests that the use of teaching materials most likely can help Tibetan students identify themselves with modern China and the Chinese nation unconsciously.However,its impact should not be overestimated.Regarding the content of this identification,there are still some contradictions between the Chinese and Tibetan versions.Furthermore,records tell the Nanjing National Government had limited control over the ethnic minority areas;therefore,promoting education in these areas was quite challenging.The limited number of schools and the small number of students in ethnic minority areas affected the printing and use of bilingual textbooks,resulting in the printing of only 2,000 sets of the first half of General Knowledge for use in schools of the ethnic minority areas.As a consequence of the Kuomintang's defeat in the civil war two years later,the set also ceased to be used,and Tibetan society did not benefit from it in a comprehensive and sustained manner.